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YOUTH MINISTRY IDEAS is a series of short videos by Dave Miers. See more here.
This welcoming idea is adapted from the fine work done by Scott Petty, Nicky Northcott and their team at Christ Church St Ives Youth. Say “hello” to the hello pack:
Here is the cover letter we use at Soulies: PDF (12.8 MB) and DOCX (9.7 MB).
Feel free to adapt for your context. The image is of Collaroy Beach. You might want to get an image of a beach or desert near you :)
Throughout the Bible the central question is, “How can sinful man ever be accepted by a holy God?” The Bible takes sin seriously, much more seriously than do the other literatures that have come down to us from antiquity. It sees sin as a barrier separating man from God (Isa. 59:2), a barrier that man was able to erect but is quite unable to demolish. But the truth on which the Bible insists is that God has dealt with the problem. He has made the way whereby sinners may find pardon, God’s enemies may find peace. Salvation is never seen as a human achievement. In the OT sacrifice has a large place, but it avails not because of any merit it has of itself (cf. Heb. 10:4), but because God has given it as the way (Lev. 17:11). In the NT the cross plainly occupies the central place, and it is insisted upon in season and out of season that this is God’s way of bringing salvation. There are many ways of bringing this out. The NT writers do not repeat a stereotyped story. Each writes from his own perspective. But each shows that it is the death of Christ and not any human achievement that brings salvation.
But none of them sets out a theory of atonement. There are many references to the effectiveness of Christ’s atoning work, and we are not lacking in information about its many – sidedness. Thus Paul gives a good deal of emphasis to the atonement as a process of justification, and he uses such concepts as redemption, propitiation, and reconciliation. Sometimes we read of the cross as a victory or as an example. It is the sacrifice that makes a new covenant, or simply a sacrifice. There are many ways of viewing it. We are left in no doubt about its efficacy and its complexity. View the human spiritual problem as you will, and the cross meets the need. But the NT does not say how it does so.
Continue reading “Theories of the Atonement // By Leon Morris”
I’M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE PUBLIC LAUNCH OF ARVO CHURCH NARRABEEN!! IT’S THIS SUNDAY (10TH MARCH 2013) FROM 4PM AT ST FAITH’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, CLARKE STREET NARRABEEN.
WWW.ARVOCHURCH.COM // FACEBOOK EVENT // ALL WELCOME!
12 months ago St Faith’s Anglican Church Narrabeen began a new Sunday afternoon church. It was pioneered under the leadership of Ben Molyneux with a core team of less than 10 adults. It has grown to about 40 adults each week. I transitioned into the leadership of this new community at the end of 2012.
Over the last few months as Arvo Church has continued to grow we have felt that it would be good to “go public”. What will change? Not much. We’ll keep doing the same things. But we’re convinced that we have the best possible reason to gather. Jesus loves us and Jesus has gathered us through his death and resurrection. So we want to make some noise to let people know about our Him!
Arvo Church will grow naturally as Gen Y have kids and as young professionals keep moving into the area. But we are keen to see it grow by mission as well. We are seeking to reach out to our local community: neighbours, colleagues, surf life saving clubs, schools, cafes and markets.
In January we did a series called LOVE THE BEACHES (see overview of basic idea and talk 1 here). We’re using some of this teaching to help drive our local mission push.
Please pray for us! (You are more than welcome to attend the launch… or keep coming if you’re local).
We’ve done some marketing via SMS, email, web, facebook, facebook advertising, postcards, business cards, letterbox drops, street chalking and word of mouth. See below for our postcard (the business card is similar).
Continue reading “ARVO CHURCH PUBLIC LAUNCH”
Bible Society have a great new Easter Bible reading plan for March. The resources they’ve been producing over the last year are good quality, easy to use and biblical. I like the global approach to these short videos with people from around the world reading each day. Sign up for the daily email here. Check out this first video here:
Here is the press release from Bible Society:
Christians send Easter messages from around the world.
For many, Easter is more about bunnies and chocolate than about the great miracle that transforms lives. At the Bible Society, we want everyone to know about Christ’s atoning sacrifice, and how his resurrection can bring newness into their very own life.
That’s why we’ve invited friends from around the world to share the Easter story, in our “Easter from Around the World” campaign. Those who sign up will receive daily video emails from March 1, each bringing a Scripture reading and points to ponder. You’ll here from thirty-one people in twenty-five countries, like China, Brazil, and Albania – and from the very part of the world where an empty tomb first revealed a resurrected Christ!
“Easter changed the whole world, so it’s great to hear this Easter message from Christians around the globe,” says Chris Melville, the Bible Society’s Campaigns and Programmes Manager. “I hope the videos help everyone recognise how much of an impact the Easter story has had on lives everywhere.”
“For instance, the very first video comes from the Amity Printing Press in China, which has just printed its 100 millionth Bible! Could there be a better story than that, of the reality of Christ and the Word of God in countries across the globe.”
Those who’ve already signed up for the Bible Society’s Live light in 25 words campaign will automatically receive these Easter emails. Others are invited to sign up now at biblesociety.org.au/dailybible and to invite others to do so as well.
James chapter one shows the importance of HEARING and HEEDING the word of God. Verse 21 says to “humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” And verse 22 challenges us to do something with what we hear, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
During my recent sermon on James 1 (you can listen to it here) I gave 5 websites/apps that can help you turn your smart phone from a distraction into a device that helps you listen to the Word of God.
Here are the 5 websites/apps I mentioned in the sermon:
Continue reading “10 WEBSITES/APPS TO HELP YOU HEAR THE WORD OF GOD”
I’ve mentioned KYCK lots of times on this blog (see some posts here). KYCK is run for teenagers by Katoomba Christian Convention over 3 weekends in April. My life was changed at KYCK in 1997 and – thanks be to God – many lives were changed when I spoke there in 2010. I’m looking forward to speaking there again in 2013 with Jeremy Dunne. Jez is a good friend and an amazing preacher! (Check out City Light Church Balmain, a new gospel-venture Jez is helping to pioneer this year.) Get tickets from the KYCK website.
Check out this rad video that’s just been launched:
Continue reading “KYCK 2013. THIS IS LOVE // PROMO VID”